The conventional attachment and detachment of farm implements to tractors and the like can be a dangerous operation. Injury may result from power take off entanglement, crushing between towed and towing vehicles and flying metal fragments chipped of a draw pin being hammered into or out of the hitch. In addition, the hooking and unhooking may be a difficult and time consuming operation.
Various mechanical systems have been proposed for providing the desired hitching function. Many of these are relatively complex and heavy, and involve the use of the hydraulic system of the towing vehicle. The use of direct tractor hydraulics is undesirable because on of the hydraulic system outlets must be dedicated to this function and because conventional hydraulics are too powerful and may damage the other components of the hitch. With conventional hydraulics, using the conventional controls, the draw pin could accidentally be withdrawn under load. Personal injury could also result if a human limb was to be caught in the mechanism. If the tractor is not operating, the attachment will not function.
In those systems where the draw pin is spring set, there is often insufficient pin driving power for most applications.
The present invention is concerned with a device that ameliorates or overcomes many of the disadvantages inherent in the known devices for attachment and detachment of farm implements and the like to tractor drawbars, whether these be fixed drawbars or swinging drawbars.